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By:Larm 2013

2013-02-25T15:22:57+00:00

Sculpture in the entrance to the Hotel Royal Christiana

What is By:Larm?

By:Larm is a 4 day music event held in Oslo annually. According to an online translation service, the name translates as ‘Urban Noise’.

What you will find there are lots of panels, seminars and training sessions through the day, and live performances from a diverse range of Nordic and Scandinavian artists performing at a selection of venues around the city by night.

By:Larm is abundant with networking opportunities for those working both in, and around music, including digital service providers, students, labels, artist managers etc and it’s also a fabulous showcase for musicians from the region.

Panel Discussions

I was kindly invited to join a panel, moderated by Steve Mayall from Musically, titled Radio GaGa, with the intention of discussing “evolving radio models and examining how they will affect music marketing, payments, income, and opportunities for labels, artists, managers and other industry stakeholders”. I was joined by delegates from Nokia, Soundhound and Somethin’ Else, making for an interesting mix of angles on this subject.

The discussion began with each panellist challenged to describe what we thought ‘Radio’ meant these days which opened a can of worms (or maybe a more fitting analogy would be Pandora’s box?) as we talked about two quite different types of service using the name ‘Radio’ to describe themselves, the more traditional, live broadcast model, and streaming services like Spotify, Wimp, Deezer, Rdio, Last.fm and Nokia Mix Radio.

The lines between streaming services and radio are beginning to blur as artists and DJs can easily curate and publicise playlists now. These services are not just about a search box and a big back-catalogue anymore. Like traditional radio, they can host individual personalities and act as a guide to music discovery.

After my panel, I had the chance to explore others. By:Larm hosts a packed agenda of seminars and training sessions, so I could not attend all of them, but certain themes came up repeatedly in those that I did:

It can appear tough for artists to get themselves well represented on the many streaming, and digital download platforms around now, but it’s widely agreed that many such services are now proving to be successful businesses with a strong future. Online streaming, rather than purchasing music at all would appear to be a thoroughly mainstream activity now in Norway at least.
There’s still work to do for both labels and digital service providers in the highly competitive yet potentially lucrative mobile space, where simple payment models and overall convenience can drive revenues. There was a whole panel on what can be done with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) for example, explaining that it can offer much more than just the ‘bonk to pay’ (wireless payment from credit card or mobile phone) we’re starting to see more now in UK stores.
We should expect to see more D2C (Direct to Consumer) offerings in the near future as artists and labels leverage the power of the internet to promote themselves, and sell directly – cutting out the middlemen and maximising their earning potential. Yet in parallel, the streaming sites with huge catalogues grow and grow in reach and engagement. It’s an interesting time for the evolution of music sales.

By:Larm nights

As well as these industry discussions and presentations, the highlight of By:Larm for a lot of folks is the enormous choice of great Nordic and Scandinavian music on offer each evening. A great networking opportunity, whilst touring various venues around the city, sharing experiences with the people you’ve met in the conferences earlier.

There’s also some amazing music to be heard.

Elliphant gets the Rockefeller venue bouncing

I had expected to discover extremes of Black Metal and ethereal & melancholic Electronica, and although these two contrasting styles were undoubtedly popular, there were some sounds I was more surprised to hear, including intense Brostep from Autolaser, and block-rocking hip-hop from the likes of Equicez and Adam Kanyama.

I’ve created an A-Z playlist on Spotify (other streaming services are available!) of a lot of the artists performing over the 4 days of the event so you can hear what’s shaking the speakers of Oslo these days for yourself. Admittedly, I missed out a lot of the metal, but there’s loads of other playlists available from the event if you dig around.

By:Larm 2013 Playlist

You can read more about By:Larm including full seminar and artist listings on bylarm.no and many thanks and credit to Oystein, Lena and Mena for organising a great event.

One million downloads of the BBC iPlayer Radio app

2012-12-13T10:28:19+00:00

After launching on 8 October, we've seen an amazing response to the iPlayer Radio app, reaching one million downloads in just two months. This coincides with this week’s update to the app which we’ve optimised for iPhone 5 devices, in response to audience feedback.

A million voices

With a million users, two months of anonymous stats data, hundreds of app store ratings and reviews, lots of feedback via twitter, via our blogs and via email, we're able to see some trends that, for me at least, are quite interesting, and are already helping to inform the roadmap for new features and improvements. I've broken out a few of those trends here.

What’s your flavour?

iPhones make up the vast majority of downloads, although there are number of iPod Touch and iPad users downloading too.

If you are an iPad user, you need to specifically choose ‘iPhone apps’ from the app store, as we do not currently have a version of the app built specifically for iPad.

What's the story, morning glory?

By far the most popular activity from the app so far, is 'waking up with Grimmy'. Whether it's by setting an alarm, or tuning in from home or en-route to work/school/wherever, from 7am each morning, there's a heavy bias to live listening to The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw.

Interesting fact: 25% of active users listen live to Radio 1 in the app.

Radio 4’s Today Programme and Radio 2’s Chris Evans Breakfast Show are head-to-head for the position of second most popular morning programme.

Long train running

By the early evening, and especially during peak commuting hours (5.30-7.30pm) we see a much more diverse range of programmes being consumed via the app. Radio 1 live listening still dominates, but Radio 4, Radio 5 live and Radio 2 are also very popular. We see an increasing number of users digging deeper into the app, browsing most popular or most recent on-demand programmes or video clips for instance, or using the search function to find specific programmes. Comedy shows do particularly well at this time too. A little escapism as people escape from work perhaps?

Interesting fact: The most popular search in the app is for Comedy.
Interesting fact: The most popular on demand programme to date is Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue.

Night time is the right time (for on-demand)

When we hit 9-10pm we see another uplift in on-demand listening - Radio 1 dance music specialist shows like Annie Mac and Pete Tong really come into their own during these hours.

Interesting fact: The most browsed music category is Dance & Electronica.

Pillow Talk

Late in the evening, Radio 4 becomes more popular than Radio 1 in the iPlayer Radio app. We see even more on-demand programmes being consumed. The calming and intimate tones of speech radio stations dominate as people take their phones to bed with them, and overdriven guitars and filthy dubstep basslines are put to bed till the following day. Programmes such as Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime are popular and Radio 5 live also starts to outperform Radio 1 for late-night listening.

This is also the time that most alarms are set, and the sleep function (accessed from 'Night Mode' if you have audio playing) gets used most.

As I said in my introduction, these trends are really useful in helping develop new features and improvements in the app, both for iPhones and the work that is already underway bringing the iPlayer Radio app to Android phones in 2013.

As ever, your feedback on the app is appreciated. If you would like to send detailed feedback you can do so via radiofeedback@bbc.co.uk. It helps if you can provide specific information about how you are using this application such as handset type (e.g. iPhone 4/ iPhone 3GS/iPod Touch), connection type (e.g. WiFi/3G) and network operator.

Thanks to everyone who has downloaded and enjoyed thus far.

NB: All data is sourced from comScore | Digital Analytix

Radio is thriving in the digital age

2012-05-04T13:04:24+00:00

Ten products, four screens

Today I met with many of the BBC’s partners and independent suppliers at the BBC Online Briefing. A large part of the day has focused on the future of radio and I set out why I believe that radio will thrive in the digital age.

Radio broadcasting in the UK will turn 90 later this year and has remained central to many people’s lives by continually adapting to changing tastes and opportunities. When TV became common in UK households in the 1950s, radio listening dropped by a third but it recovered over the following decades with a combination of technological innovation, such as the introduction of FM and the transistor radio, and content innovation, for example the launch of local and commercial radio stations.

The impact of digital on radio is becoming clearer. Radio is thriving in the digital world because it offers unique and unmatched content and works hard to take advantage of digital opportunities.

A good example of this is the success of Radioplayer. The BBC worked closely with commercial radio to develop the technology that enables audiences to access content from hundreds of UK radio stations in a single player. We’re currently in the process of updating our BBC Radioplayer console with more flexible technology, to deliver better live information and make it possible to discover BBC radio clips.

In line with the overall strategy for BBC Online, we are developing a Radio and Music Product that will improve our prominence on all digital devices. It will bring all BBC Radio together in one place, available on all mobile, tablets, desktop computers, digital radio and digital TV.

It will focus on the following opportunities in 2012:

Making live radio more visual, informative and social: using rich dynamic visual feeds and integrating social media, as we’ve already done for Radio 1 and 1Xtra.
Audio curation that blends editorial expertise, smart technology and social media: making it easy for people to discover and enjoy the world’s greatest range of audio content.
Strengthening radio’s position as the no.1 place for discovering music in the UK: showcasing the amazing music events and talent that the BBC will deliver in 2012 and linking radio with online music services.

In addition, we’ll focus on rolling out digital radio broadcasting (DAB). And we’ll be exploring hybrid services that make the most of linking broadcast radio (FM and DAB) together with the internet to make the most of the advantages of each platform.

We have long advocated that radio is now often about more than simply listening. Listening remains central of course but for many people it’s also increasingly about watching, interacting and sharing. Over the past five years, we’ve seen some decline in the hours spent listening to radio, particularly amongst younger listeners. It’s in our younger audiences where we see the biggest response to filming music performances, for example BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, or on Facebook, where Radio 1 has more than a million fans. This doesn’t apply to all types of content and we are careful to tailor our approach to the programme and what that audience wants.

So over the next 12 months you’ll see innovation and a lot of changes in how the BBC delivers its radio stations online. We’ll being working closely with commercial radio and manufacturers on technology innovations. We’re also keen to hear your feedback. For example, over the next few months, we’ll be asking for your thoughts on new beta versions of some of our desktop homepages.

Our mantra in the UK radio industry to "cooperate on technology, compete on content" has never felt more important. By working together, radio will make the most of digital opportunities and emerge stronger than ever.

Mark Friend is Controller, Multiplatform & Interactive, BBC Audio & Music

New digital programmes - and a new name for Radio 7

2011-03-01T12:00:44+00:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr

Today we announced a series of new programmes which will be appearing on our digital radio stations. Also, we confirmed that we are changing the name of BBC Radio 7 to BBC Radio 4 Extra in April. You can find all the details in the press release.

Some people have questioned why we are altering a much-loved service: is this just unnecessary management tinkering? Firstly, let me offer a few words of reassurance. Radio 4 Extra will not be fundamentally different to Radio 7. The vast majority of the programming will remain much-loved archive productions, and we will continue to focus on comedy, drama and entertainment rather than offering news or current affairs. The primary reason for change is not to sell digital radios but to ensure more Radio 4 listeners are aware that we offer more of what they love. We'll be offering a more direct link between Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra. For example, we have confirmed that The Now Show and The News Quiz will offer extended versions on Radio 4 Extra featuring some of the bits that we have had to edit out to fit the programmes into their 30-minute slot on Radio 4.

As you can see we do not intend to take away people's favourite programmes from Radio 4. Perhaps the best example of how we see Radio 4 Extra working, as well as how we can see the digital world as offering a better service to listeners, is our plan for Desert Island Discs. On top of the ongoing Radio 4 programme, we will offer extended programmes on Radio 4 Extra as well as old editions. Meanwhile online we'll launch an amazing archive of 500 programmes that listeners can explore and download.

I hope that even if you have not caught Radio 7 yet, you do take the chance to take a listen to Radio 4 Extra when it launches in April.

Tim Davie is Director of Audio & Music

The picture shows Roy Plomley and his guest Noel Coward on the occasion of the twenty-first anniversary of Desert Island Discs in 1963. Coward had been on the list of guests drawn up by Plomley when he devised the programme in 1941.

The Q4 Rajars in the press and on the social networks

2011-02-03T12:52:52+00:00

Using a beta (test) version of a service called Storify we've rounded up the reaction in the press, on the blogs and on the social networks to this morning's RAJAR numbers. What's your opinion of the numbers? Log in to leave a comment.

Steve Bowbrick, blogs editor

RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) is jointly owned by the BBC and commercial radio trade body the Radio Centre. Participating listeners are asked to record their radio listening in quarter-hour time blocks for one week.
The RAJAR figures for 'linear listening', not including on-demand listening or podcasts, in a table and the official quarterly press release (PDF).
BBC Audio & Music's RAJAR press release.
Thanks to Jem Stone for curating the links.

Tim Davie on DAB's 'ambitious target'

2010-11-26T13:55:24+00:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006slnx

Editor's note: Tim Davie was interviewed on today's Feedback, Radio 4's weekly accountability programme - SB.

"The BBC should be ashamed of themselves for running this ad. They are telling their listeners to buy something they know isn't ready for us yet."

That was William Rogers, Chief Executive of the commercial radio station UKRD.

He was talking about the Digital Radio UK Christmas campaign featuring David Mitchell and Arthur Smith, launched this week (November 22) and running until Christmas Eve.

BBC TV and Radio is running its own companion advertisments but some commercial radio stations are holding off.

Mr Rogers isn't finished.

He says it was "fundamentally immoral and dishonest" to run the campaign "knowing that the DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) infrastructure is not good enough and knowing full well that when people buy a DAB radio it may not work when they get it home".

This week on Feedback I talked about these claims with the BBC's head of radio Tim Davie.

Fifteen per cent of listening is currently on DAB radio and that figure rises to nearly 25 per cent for listening on all digital platforms - online etc. Many of us have lots of analogue radios which we have no desire to see become redundant.

The Government"s target date for digital switchover (which means analogue switch-off) is still 2015, though it is now called an "aspiration" by the Coalition, "ambitious" by tactful radio executives, and "impossible" by some others.

Hear what Tim Davie has to say about Britain's digital future:

PS On a personal note it is difficult to talk to the whippet thin Tim Davie without wondering about his obsession with running marathons, and the fact that this year he ran the 48 miles from home to work nonstop for charity.

I really must go to the gym again.

Roger Bolton is presenter of Feedback on BBC Radio 4

Listen again to this week's Feedback, produced by Karen Pirie, get in touch with Feedback, find out how to join the listener panel or subscribe to the podcast on the Feedback web page.
Ford Ennals, Chief Executive of DRUK (Digital Radio UK) was interviewed by Evan Davis on Today and the programme followed up on his numbers a few days later.
Former BBC Radio executive James Cridland took on the issue of listener numbers on his blog.
Feedback is now on Twitter. Follow @BBCFeedback.
The picture shows DAB radios in a shop. It's by Salim Fadhley. Some rights reserved.